With an introduction to sushi, you’ll be one step closer to preparing a delectable feast for your friends and family.

Introduction to Sushi

Sushi is one of the most famous dishes in Japan, combining rice, seafood and vegetables. Some sushi recipes call for raw fish. The most common style of sushi seen in Western restaurants are sushi rolls and nigiri.
Sushi began when the Japanese learned the technique of pickling in the 7th century. The process of preparing sushi was honed, changed and made more efficient. Today, vinegar brings most of the flavor and tartness to sushi.

Eating Sushi: Are There Health Benefits and Risks Associated With This Food?

Both health benefits and dangers are associated with sushi. Like other forms of seafood, sushi is packed with essential nutrients, such as lean protein.
The fat in sushi, omega-3 fatty acids, helps reduce inflammation and may lower your risk for heart disease, cancer and arthritis. The seaweed wrap around a sushi roll, called nori, has many vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, as do common additives like wasabi and ginger.
A few risks are associated with eating sushi. Some fish are known to contain high levels of mercury, especially tuna and swordfish. Raw fish may contain parasites, though most sushi establishments and fish monger flash-freeze the fish to very low temperatures to avoid parasite infection.

The Popular Types of Sushi

Sushi rolls are the most popular presentation of this Japanese food, but sushi comes in many different forms.
Popular styles of sushi include:
• Chirashi: Served with seafood scattered in a bowl. Seafood, mushrooms and vegetables are placed on top of sushi rice.
• Nigiri: These hand-shaped rice balls have ingredients such as tuna, shrimp, eel and squid on top.
• Norimaki: It’s most commonly thought of as “sushi.” Rice and seafood are rolled into dried seafood sheets. Sushi rolls are sometimes served inside out with rice pressed on the outside.
• Oshizushi: This recipe calls for fish to be pressed into the sushi rice and is often referred to as box sushi.
• Temaki: This hand-rolled sushi comes in cones of seaweed. Inside the cones are the traditional rice, seafood and vegetables common in sushi.
Of these five types of sushi, temaki is the only style normally eaten with the fingers instead of chopsticks because of its shape.